Backup Server-Reset Storage Set

[johncrane]

I am running backup server to backup two powerbooks when they are available. The two backup storage sets are then backed up daily along with data on the main computer with a recycle backup to a cd. The problem is that one of the folders on the powerbooks ocassionally get very large when files are incorrectly placed in them by the users. When this occurs the backup server storage set for the powerbook is larger than it should be. The daily backup does not complete since it is larger than a single cd can hold.

 

The problem is in reducing the size of the backup storage set. Even when the incorrect file are deleted from the powerbook the backup storage set size is not reduced since backup server scripts are incremental. The storage set still contains the deleted files but they are marked deleted. The only way I can get around this is to modify the script and create a new storage set.

 

Is there an easier way to solve the problem of expanding storage sets for backup server?

[AmyJ]

There is not a way to selectively delete files out of a backup set. If the set has grown too large, you will need to start a new set or recycle your existing set if your goal is to only use one CD-RW.

 

 

 

If you are doing incremental backups, ultimately your CD will fill up and Retrospect will require another CD. In an incremental backup, Retrospect appends to the existing set (adds on to the end), it does not go back and overwrite only the changed files.

 

 

 

Retrospect does not have a function to mark files as "deleted" within your backup set. Files cannot be changed within a backup set once they have been backed up.

 

 

 

You may want to consider doing Recycle Backups - which will erase the media each time, or New Media Backups, which will start an entirely new backup set automatically for you each time. Many people use combinations of Normal, Recycle and New Media backups in their scripts to achieve the results they are looking for.